


Moon River

by luxiian



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Anxious Katsuki Yuuri, Drunk Katsuki Yuuri, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Shenanigans, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Makkachin and Vicchan meet, Not Canon Compliant, Oblivious Katsuki Yuuri, Phichit sneaks in a rice cooker, Pining Victor Nikiforov, Starts off at Sochi, Supportive Victor Nikiforov, Vicchan Lives, Victor and Yuuri are competitors, Wingman Phichit Chulanont, Yuuri places at Sochi, kinda canon but not really, lil bit of angst, phichit is the best wingman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:00:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29600724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luxiian/pseuds/luxiian
Summary: Instead of coming last at Sochi, Katsuki Yuuri finishes third. He proves himself as one of the top skaters to look out for, gaining the attention of not only the world, but of Victor Nikiforov, too.AKA Vicchan lives and suddenly Yuuri and Victor are facing off as two of the top skaters in the world. Meanwhile, Yuuri is trying not to freak out since he apparently asked Victor during his drunken escapade during the banquet to choreograph a program for him for next season.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	1. Sochi Part One: The Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so obviously I am going to go off a bit when it comes down to 'canon interactions and events' in order to fit my timeline. I will try to keep some of the things shown in season one the same, all the while tampering a bit because I scheme a lot when it comes to this show. 
> 
> Bear with me on this only slightly canon compliant journey as we explore what could have happened had Vicchan lived, Yuuri skated another season under Celestino, and instead of asking Victor to be his coach, Yuuri asks him to choreograph a program for him. It's going to be one hell of a ride so let's pop out the alcohol and see how it goes.

_Just one more jump_.

"Hey, don't you know that it's not wise to perform jumps without someone watching you?"

Yuuri dragged his toe pick along the ice. "I wasn't doing anything too difficult.

Phichit leaned against the railing, shaking his head. "You're right. Since when did they say that doubles had four rotations instead of two again? I must have missed that."

Skating over to the entrance of the rink to grab his skate guards, Yuuri sighs. "I just wanted to get in one last practice before my flight to Sochi tomorrow."

"I understand, but tiring yourself out before you even get there isn't going to help you out much." Phichit handed him his water. "And you and I both know that we would be scolded for hours if Ciao Ciao caught us performing jumps all alone."

"I hate it when you're right."'

"Really? I kinda like it." Phichit grinned. "Oh, by the way, I was on dinner duty and made ramen, but it's all cold now since you were late."

"Sorry about that." he winced.

"I even made it with the eggs you like as a sort of good luck for tomorrow."

"Wow," Yuuri hoisted his skate bag over his shoulder. "you really went all out."

"Of course I did." Phichit shrugged. "Qualifying is kind of a big deal, you know. You better do the same for when I qualify next year, too."

Yuuri chuckled. "You got it."

* * *

Over cups of lukewarm ramen and the sound of _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ playing on their tiny TV from their adjoining living room, Phichit spoke first.

"I wish I could come with you."

"You know you have exams to take that day." Yuuri used his favorite pair of chopsticks to eat.

They had garnered a collection of the little wooden ones from the university's meal hall for guests, but they weren't anything like the ones they brought from home. Also, they were washable so they didn't have to waste any more than they needed to. Aside from the instant ramen being the only thing that they could afford. It was increaisingly difficult to stick to a healthy diet for skating when you were broke,

"I know, but it's the Grand Prix!" Phichit whined. "You're so lucky that you only have a few more months left. I still have three years."

"You know what they say, 'College goes by in a blink of an eye', or something like that."

Phichit huffed out a laugh. "You're starting to sound like my mom."

"Wonderful. I have officially proved that I am old."

"Yuuri! You're not even twenty-three yet."

"I'm near skating retirement age."

"You're in your prime right now, what do you mean?"

Yuuri finished his noodles and threw the styrofoam cup in the trash. "I think that next season might be my last one."

Phichit choked on his food. "What?!"

"I said I _think_ \--"

"Katsuki Yuuri, I _will_ _not_ let you retire during my debut season! That's so mean!"

"Alright, I guess I could wait another year."

Phichit stuck his tongue out at him. "We finally get to be competitors together in a major competition and you're already going to go and live as a hermit."

"I think that life sounds kind of relaxing, actually." Yuuri set his chopsticks in the sink. "Like Yoda."

"Did you even see where Yoda lived? He lived in a hut in the middle of a swamp with a giant snake thing living in the water. A giant snake thing, Yuuri!"

Yuuri settled himself in front of the TV. "Okay, so I will either turn out to be Yoda or Shrek."

Phichit groaned. "Yuuri!"

"Hush, it's my favorite scene."

Audrey Hepburn was half hanging out her window of her apartment, half sitting on the fire escape, playing an acoustic guitar while she sang. She wasn't wearing any of the usual, glamorously overpriced clothing she wore in the movie, but instead wore something a little more casual and relaxed. Yuuri loved how even though she wasn't a trained singer, she still managed to harbor such heart-wrenching emotion all in one scene.

"I love this movie, but I will never get over how terrible the casting was for Mr. Yunioshi. Not to mention the racist stereotypes." Phichit scrunched his face.

"Agreed." Yuuri rested his chin on his knees that were tucked up to his chest. "It would have been better if they had just cut his character out all together."

"But this song is really what holds the whole movie together." Phichit settled next to Yuuri on their lumpy couch.

"I was thinking about using this song for my free skate next season. But, I might have to commission it and have it extended a bit since it's a minute or two short." Yuuri brings up after the song is over. "If Celestino would allow me."

"Of course he would!" Phichit's eyes lit up. "It would be perfect for you!"

"I wonder what my costume would be." Yuuri wondered aloud. "Probably something casual like how she was in the movie."

"You're already thinking about next season this soon? Man, I really need to start studying."

By the time they finished the movie, Phichit had fallen asleep on the couch while Yuuri had to blink a couple times just to assure himself that he wouldn't succumb to the same fate. After he stood up and stretched, he headed for his own room to finish packing. His costumes were hanging up in the closet, both glittering and covered in frills. He was beyond nervous about performing in the next few days, hoping that he would make his parents, friends, coach and country proud. He didn't want all of his hard work to go to waste. He wanted to prove that he was a force to be reckoned with and will redeem himself as Japan's Ace.

* * *

Saying goodbye to Phichit was a lot harder than Yuuri thought it would be.

"If you win then I'll make sure to sneak in a rice cooker before you graduate!" Phichit promised. "That way we will have a few weeks of something to eat other than ramen."

Yuuri smiled. "I'll hold you to that."

"It would be easier if you just asked the RA since he's obviously in love with you." Phichit said as if it were obvious.

"What?"

"You know, Trevor, the RA guy with the long hair. He wears a flannel all the time no matter the season when it it so obviously an autumn thing--" Phichit drawled on, mostly talking to himself by that point.

"I know who the RA is, Phichit. But I highly doubt that he's _in love_ with me." Yuuri checked his watch.

They had to go through the security checkpoint soon if they were going to make their flight. Phichit couldn't go through even if he begged and bribed, which, he did to the poor lady just trying to take their tickets.

"Please, it's so obvious." Phichit blew out. "If only you weren't so oblivious."

"Hey, I am not oblivious."

"Last week Trevor came by and asked if he could borrow something he knows very well is not allowed to be kept in the dorms as an excuse to see you." Phichit crossed his arms. "And when you showed up he got all flustered and ran out of there, refusing to make eye contact with anyone for the rest of the day."

Yuuri sighed. "Must you remember every little thing?"

"Of course, it's part of my charm." Phichit flashed a smile.

"Yuuri!" Celestino wheeled his luggage over towards them. "We board in half an hour."

"Coming!" Yuuri waved. "I'll see you in a week, Phichit."

"I'll set up a viewing party for when you skate." he grinned. "Maybe I'll invite Trevor over and give him a tour of your room."

Yuuri flushed. "Please don't do that!"

"Come on, I'm just messing with you." Phichit embraced him tightly. "Bring me back a medal!"

* * *

Their flight to Sochi was relatively tame, albeit a little long. Yuuri didn't mind it as much since it gave him a few extra hours of sleep. They had to take more than one plane and had ridiculous layover times, but by the time they finally arrived in Russia, Yuuri was about ready to collapse on the nearest bench and stay there.

"We'll check into the hotel soon." his coach assured, making sure to keep an eye on him in case he actually did topple over out of sheer exhaustion.

Yuuri could barely remember how he made it from the airport, the ride in the cab to the hotel and how they checked in. He fell asleep as soon as he hit the mattress of the clean and very soft hotel bed and didn't wake up until later that evening. Celestino had ushered him out to converse with the other skaters, but Yuuri wasn't the most social person when it came to big events. Or any events, really.

Instead, he lingered near the restaurant built into the hotel and ordered what he thought would be the healthiest before his first practice tomorrow. The short program was due to start in two days, hopefully giving him enough time to nail one of his jumps that he had been struggling with. He knew that he had the triple axel down, a personal favorite of his, and that his footwork was sure to give him some leverage over the other skaters. However, he did struggle quite a bit with the quad toe. He also needed to work on--

Someone's hand grazed Yuuri's lower back. "Yuuri!"

Yuuri turned to see Christophe Giacometti in the flesh and blood. "Chris, I would have thought that you would be out in a bar somewhere by now."

Chris settled across from him in the booth. "Not before a competition, _cheri_. I do expect you to join me at least once after I win gold, however."

Taking long sips from his water, Yuuri then huffed a laugh. "Well, aren't you mighty confident."

"I have to be during competitions like this." he reasoned, calling over the waitress and ordering the same as Yuuri. "So, have you run into Victor yet?"

Yuuri coughed out his drink. "He's here?"

"Not in this room, but somewhere. I could get him down here if you'd like."

Yuuri shook his head and waved his hands in a flurry. "No, no, you don't have to do that!"

"I suppose I can properly introduce you two later." Chris took the not-so-subtle hint. "You're going to run into him at practice tomorrow, you know."

"Can't I just avoid the inevitable until it arrives?"

"Sure, but it's less fun."

The two went back and forth for a while and ate their respective meals in peace, avoiding the topic of Victor for the rest of the night. They shared an elevator back to their rooms and bid each other good night before Yuuri stepped off and watched the doors close behind him. The hallways were empty, which put Yuuri at ease just a little bit. He didn't need any more unnecessary stress than he already had. At least talking to Chris soothed his nerves--it didn't quell them, but it certainly helped.

* * *

Practice consisted of Yuuri ducking to hide from Victor until the latter left the practice rink. He knew it was silly to hide from his competitors, but seeing one's lifelong idol was always nothing short of overwhelming. Celestino found him hiding near one of the bathrooms and barely managed to drag him onto the ice. Only two others were skating with him, each one of them thoroughly focused and never faltering even after they missed a jump or step sequence.

Yuuri automatically felt out of place.

"Just go out there and practice your short." Celestino said once his student skated back over after warm-ups for a sip of water. "You have proven to me that you can perform the program perfectly. Now it's time to do the same for the world."

Yuuri always liked how his coach made an effort to speak in a way that was easy for him to understand. His accent lilted his voice a bit, and was extremely prominent whenever he yelled, but he was a nice guy and understood him well enough. He knew how to assist Yuuri if he encountered an attack, and knew when to back off and give him some space. He was a fine coach, one that Yuuri would hate to lose after his retirement soon.

"Let's run that last part again, Yuuri!" Celestino's voice seemed to take up the entire void of the arena whenever he spoke.

* * *

When the day of the short program arrived, Yuuri stood in front of a full-length mirror in his shared hotel room, making sure to smooth down the front of his costume. It wasn't as glamorous or as bright as his free skate costume, but he liked the fit of it and how it had a slight shimmer if he moved a certain way. He was taken to blue costumes more recently, noting how they faintly reminded him a certain someone's steely gaze he saw whenever he looked at the posters on his wall back in Hasetsu.

Using a special gel that Phichit specifically recommended to him, Yuuri slicked back his dark hair, making sure to leave a few strands loose against his forehead. He felt like an entirely different person whenever he put on a costume and made it out onto the ice. He was still the same Yuuri, but out there he was confident and just a tad bit cocky. He turned in the mirror, making sure there were no tears in the top like there was two years ago. Twenty minutes before he had to go on he had ripped down the sleeve too miraculously to go unnoticed. Thankfully, Celestino suggested that he tear the other side to make it look intentional. No one suspected anything, but Yuuri would rather not have a repeat of that during his Grand Prix debut.

"Yuuri, are you ready?" Celestino knocked on the door, his voice slightly muffled.

Yuuri faced forward and nodded to himself. "I'm ready."


	2. Sochi Part Two: The Performance Has Only Just Begun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri performs his short and free programs, while embarrassing himself somewhere in the middle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a playlist including all of the songs used during their competitions in case you wanted to listen to it while reading! (I will add more as the fic continues)
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1cpxxTnzntPzCZcEVnAa64?si=V-nsMwxCTO  
> 2VGwJ1zf-2uA
> 
> Please tell me if this doesn’t work! Thank you (*^^*)
> 
> (P.S. copy and paste the link into your search bar and that should do the trick!)

_Breathe_.

He repeated that word over and over until it became a permanent fixation in his mind, his noise cancelling earbuds blocking out the sounds of a screaming crowd and loud music. He finished stretching, meeting Celestino's eye to that told him he was next. He had pulled the card earlier telling him that he would skate last, making him feel a sense of dread that never seemed to subside during situations like that. He _hated_ going last. All of the expectations fell on him, hoping that he would claw his way up the leader board somehow. He only wish that he would pull through.

He unzipped his jacket and handed it to his coach. He then removed skate guards and set them aside, running a hand last minute through his hair. Celestino told him not to mess with it, but he couldn't stop the nervous habit as the skater in front of him finished their program.

"Show the world what you can do." his coach nodded confidently at him, sending Yuuri off.

He skated a quick lap around, getting a feel for the ice, before getting into his starting pose. He didn't choose his music, but he didn't mind it since he geuniely enjoyed the piece. It wasn't a garish as some of the others, but instead held its own as a languid, lyrical piece. The long notes of a deep cello rang through the arena, guiding him as he fell into an orchestral induced rhythm.

He had a natural talent for his footwork, allowing him to spin and twirl along the ice with near perfection. As the song grew louder, he moved into a combination spin, earning applause from the crowd. He yearned for their applause and for their eyes to only be on him as he moved around the rink. He set himself up for his first jump: a triple axel. He landed it, silently congratulating himself. He had one quad in the program, ambitiously placed near the end, and pleaded that he would be able to make it there without a slip up.

His hand touched down on his second jump, and he ended up popping one of the others, but he recovered and barely managed to pull off his quad toe until he stood in the middle of the rink, breathing heavily in his ending pose. His coach looked satisfied, even though he chastised him about how he sloppy was at the end up until they moved to the kiss and cry. Yuuri clutched a plushie to his chest in anticipation, squinting as the screen showed that he was currently sitting in fifth.

He wasn't surprised since the other skaters held at least one or two more years of qualification superiority over him.

"You can make it up in the free skate." Celestino handed him his water. "That's where it really counts."

Yuuri knew that in theory, but he couldn't stop reliving his mistakes. He knew where he went wrong and winced at the slight pain that persisted in his ankle. If he iced it when he got back to the room he should be fine.

 _Hopefully_.

They left the arena, Yuuri being in slightly lesser spirits than his coach, only to run in Chris. He was sitting at second, just below Victor, in the leader board. The two of them were always neck and neck in every competition they were in, but Victor somehow always managed to edge past him. They didn't call him _The Living Legend_ for nothing.

"Good job out there, Yuuri!" he cooed.

"Thanks." Yuuri replied numbly. "You were great out there."

"Wasn't I?" Chris flung an arm around his shoulders. "I swear I almost fell on that last jump. I don't know where you get your stamina from. Mind showing me some time?"

Yuuri's face heated, eyeing his coach who conveniently moved away from them to talk to a throng of reporters. Chris didn't stop nagging on him until they shared dinner later that night again, sending Yuuri off to his room to sulk. He didn't mind sulking so much--it gave him a sense of both peace and disappointment. He thought of it as a time to reflect, but Phichit insisted that it actually did more harm than good.

"Speak of the devil." Yuuri picked up his ringing phone. "Phich--"

"Yuuri! You did so good!" he hollered, the cheering in the background proving that he actually _did_ throw a viewing party.

"Hey, Yuuri, I'm here too!" someone called out.

Yuuri had to move the phone away from his ear. "Oh, hi Trevor. Thank you for watching."

"Your quad toe was the best part!" Phichit took the phone back. "I mean, the whole thing was amazing, but that jump was perfect. Not to mention your costume. I can't believe you never let me see it until now!"

Yuuri laughed. "I wanted it to be a surprise. I thought that you would have broken into my room already and had sneaked a peek at them."

"I tried, but your door was locked and I am _god awful_ at lock picking."

"Kind of reassuring that you're not great at breaking and entering, Phich."

"We can't wait to see you free in a few days." his roommate ignored that last comment. "Don't tell me you plan on hiding in your room until then."

"Well,"

"Yuuri!" Phichit fumed. "Interact with people! Don't become a hermit!"

"Easier said than done."

He sighed. "Think of the rice cooker and how if you win I will steal one."

"What?" Trevor blurted out.

"Nothing!"

Yuuri kicked off his shoes and set down his skate bag. "I don't think I can make a comeback after coming in fifth."

"Sure you can!" Phichit assured him. "It's been done before."

"Really? When?"

"Well, I can't think of who it was _right now_."

Yuuri started the shower and balanced his phone on his shoulder while he grabbed a towel from one of the bathroom cabinets. "If you remember who it is, let me know. I gotta go."

"Remember, Yuuri," Phichit exclaimed. "be friendly!"

Yuuri hung up the phone and undressed, hopping in the shower and letting the warm water soothe his aching body. He had fallen pretty hard during warmup, the prominent bruising along his hip proving just that. That was what really shook his confidence. Not to mention how he always performed a lot worse whenever he let his mind wander astray. He was too concerned on _not_ messing up that he actually _did_ mess up.

He watched as water droplets slipped down the shower wall, tracing them into a lopsided smiley face. It turned into a frown after the water weighed it down, almost mocking him.

"What are you looking at?" Yuuri narrowed his eyes at the face.

"Yuuri? Are you talking to someone?" Celestino must have gotten back to the room already.

Yuuri shot up straight so fast he very nearly brought the shower curtain down with him. "No!"

That made him hurry to get out of the shower and head straight to bed.

* * *

The next morning, Yuuri and the other skaters practiced their free skate programs the whole day. While others retired after a few hours or so, Yuuri persisted and performed the jump he struggled with the most with over and over until he got it. Celestino tried to stop him, but Yuuri was confident that he could land the one he had only landed a handful of times in practice. He would need to pull off a near perfect program to even have a chance at placing.

Thankfully, Yuuri did not see Victor the entire day, which was surprising. He was sure that he would need to practice like every one else, but perhaps he already did so earlier to avoid the crowd.

"Yuuri, let's call it a day!" his coach called out, gesturing him over when he was the only one on the ice.

He skated off and slipped on his skate guards, noticing how the rink employees were waiting to run the zamboni. He apologized, his face slightly tinged pink, leaving them to their own devices while he got a bite to eat. His feet were blistered and turning purple, but he felt somewhat more confident about tomorrow's program than he did earlier. At least that counted for something.

"I need to talk to a few people, so why don't you go and soak in the pool for a little?" Celestino pointed to the hotel pool entrance. "It might help relax your muscles a bit."

Yuuri couldn't protest since he was too tired to fight at that point.

* * *

Half an hour later led to him sitting in the indoor hot tub, almost completely underneath the water. He was thankful that the room was empty save for a few stragglers. He relaxed at the privacy, giving in that his coach was right about him needing to unwind before his free skate. The door to the humid room opened, and in walked Chris. He also wasn't alone. Someone with strikingly silver hair wandered in behind him, talking to him in a hushed tone.

Yuuri's eyes widened as he looked around, trying to find a way to sneak out unnoticed. Unfortunately, his towel was sitting in a chair that was too far away and too close to Victor. Instead, Yuuri held his breath and sank lower into the tub.

 _Please don't come over here_. _Please don't come over here_.

He heard their laughter bouncing off of the walls when he came up for air, sneaking a peek at them as Chris dove into the pool. Then, Victor became Chris' designated photographer. They were distracted, giving him the perfect opportunity to grab his things and to never be heard of again. Until the free skate tomorrow.

Slowly and silently he rose from the boiling water, sneaking his way over to his chair. Victor and Chris were still going back and forth, their backs facing Yuuri while he toweled himself down and tried to calm his breathing.

 _Almost there_. _Almost there_.

"Yuuri?" Chris called out, just as he was mere centimeters from the door.

Yuuri held the towel up to cover half of his face, lowering his voice to try and make him sound unrecognizable. "Uh, no. No, that's not me."

"Yuuri!"

Closing the door behind him quickly, Yuuri ran through the hotel lobby, dripping water everywhere and silently apologizing until he made it to the elevator. The doors were about to close when a mother and her child stepped in and eyed him wearily. It was the longest minute of his life as he stood there shirtless, wet and freezing, trying to avoid all eye contact with her or her son. As soon as he stepped out, he booked it for his room and darted inside.

Celestino didn't say anything as Yuuri leaned against the door, chest heaving while his wet hair stuck out every which way.

"Nothing happened."

"I didn't say anything." Celestino replied, his expression equally confused and amused.

"I'm going to take a shower."

"I think it's best if you do."

Yuuri made it to the bathroom and spent too long in the shower, trying not to relive his embarrassment at the pool. He tried really hard not to think about how Chris and Victor most likely _did_ see him, and how nice Victor looked shirtless.

"Stop!" he hit his face with his palms.

When he didn't think the trip could possibly get any worse, it turned out that he was very, very wrong.

* * *

"Victor Nikiforov is set to take first." one of the reporters surrounding the Russian and his coach jammed microphones in their faces. "Are you confident about this outcome?"

"Victor is prepared to go out there and do what he always does, which is win. Now if you'll excuse us." Yakov ushered his student over to the warmup area.

Victor was bouncing on the balls of his feet, trying to get a better view of the rink.

"Vitya, what's the matter with you?" Yakov asked, slightly irritated.

"I want to see that Japanese skater perform." he said simply.

"You mean Katsuki?"

"If that's his name, then yes." Victor shrugged. "Katsuki."

"He's of no concern to you." Yakov frowned. "He's in fifth."

"Anything is possible, Yakov."

"Anything but winning gold." a mop of blond hair popped up beside them. "Especially if he jumps like that."

"Jumps aren't everything, Yura." Victor stretched his calves against the wall. "You could win if you perfect everything else in the program with no jumps."

"Tsk." Yuri stomped away in typical Yuri fashion.

The music started and Victor instantly recognized the tune. It was from _Swan Lake_ ; It one of the more popular compositions skaters used. He had done something similar as a junior skater, but he tried to surprise his audience with something a bit more uncommonly used when he transitioned into the senior division.

Katsuki glided on the ice, the blue of his costume shimmering under the florescent arena lights. His step sequences were rather admirable, and his stamina undeniable while he performed most of his jumps in the later half. When he moved into an Ina Bauer, Victor tilted his head at the arch of his back and the fluidity of his movements. He hadn't been able to watch his short program, only hearing of his placement after Yakov informed him of the final standings. Apparently, he should have been paying closer attention.

Katsuki performed a perfect triple toe, single loop, triple salchow. He stumbled a bit on the landing of the last jump, but regained his footing and continued on with the program. He landed a near perfect quad, moving into another step sequence that had the entire audience on their feet to get a better look. Victor felt nailed to his spot as he watched, ignoring Yakov telling him to stretch out a bit more. His other jumps were all successful, which actually made Victor just a tad bit happy. When the program was nearing its end, he lapsed into a spin combination, going from a flying sit spin into a bielman.

Victor didn't even notice the program was over until Yuuri was skating over to the exit, Yakov having to pull him by the sleeve of his warmup jacket to make room for the Japanese skater. Katsuki didn't even seem to notice him as he and his coach made their way over to the kiss and cry. He scored reasonably high, overshadowing his lackluster short program two days before.

"Looks like he may be competition after all." Yakov grumbled to himself, just barely loud enough for his students to hear.

"He could have executed his landings better." Yuri mumbled, although secretly pleased with his performance.

He was a closeted Katsuki fan.

"Vitya, keep your mind clear and focus." Yakov was back to being his usual irritable and tough-love self.

"Don't worry about me." Victor, rejuvenated with a new competitive fervor, was prepared to take on Katsuki's proposed challenge.

* * *

Yuuri was trying his hardest not to freak out once he realized that he had secured a spot on the podium. Chris had just skated off the ice, picking up a plushie or two on his way out. Victor was up next. Victor who most definitely watched his free skate. He had achieved his lifelong dream of skating on the same ice as his idol, but somehow it didn't feel as gratifying as he had wanted it to. Now, that dream was replaced by a desire to win. He didn't want to just place second or third. He wanted to come out on top.

He then realized how addictive winning was and how once you got a taste for it, you couldn't stop wanting more.

Pushing past a flock of reporters after answering a few alarmingly personal questions, Yuuri found a spot to watch Victor skate. When he removed his jacket, his costume came into view. It was a bright fuchsia that trailed off into something darker, every inch covered in his signature glimmering style. He looked like a fancy nutcracker or a solider of some sort as he skated to a roaring crowd cheering for their prince. He was certainly a vision to see.

 _Stammi Vicino_ began to play, the gentle notes reverberating in an even deeper sense of longing and loneliness. Yuuri could feel the emotion through the program as he moved, landing every one of his jumps with professional ease. Every move and every step was perfectly curated to be a record-breaking program.

"He's certainly beautiful, is he not?" Chris came up beside him, leaning against the railing.

Yuuri nodded faintly. "He looks sad."

"That he does, _cheri_." Chris eyed Yuuri knowingly, the former turning away flustered. "That he does."

* * *

Victor, Chris and Yuuri stood on the podium together, each one of them holding a bouquet while they waved and posed for pictures. Yuuri never thought that he would be able to make it up there. He never thought that he would be able to share the podium with skaters as talented as Victor and Chris--the dream always seeming too far beyond his reach. But, as he stared out into the cheering crowd as the Russian National Anthem played, Yuuri could only feel pure, elated joy.

He also could have sworn that a certain someone had their gaze resting firmly on him from above.

The three of them headed off to the press conference afterwards which was just as much of a hectic, loud blur that Yuuri had expected it to be. The other two skaters and him sat at a raised table with their respective nameplates, answering an onslaught of questions until all Yuuri wanted to do was slip away to his room and take a century long nap. But, if he did that, Phichit would complain about how he didn't perform his promised exhibition skate.

Yuuri practiced it without actually believing that he would need to use it, but he was glad that he did.

Celestino managed to help him sneak away, finally letting him take a deep breath after escaping the crowd. "Phichit has been trying to call me for the past hour."

Yuuri huffed a laugh. "He's probably going to interrogate me about my exhibition skate."

"You're doing the ABBA song, right?"

He hummed an affirmative as they headed back to their room and ordered room service. His social media, which he barely checked, was flooded with congratulations and pictures of him looking starry eyed and on the verge of tears. But they weren't sad tears. Yuuri was overwhelmed with his newfound success, and couldn't be happier, but he still wanted to sleep and go back home. He would have about a week or so with his family back in Japan before he left for Nationals. He was sure that Minako would tackle him upon sight as soon as he stepped off of the plane.

"Yuuri!" Phichit screamed into the phone, making Yuuri put his phone which was already on FaceTime, on speaker mode. "You were incredible! I knew that you could do it!"

"You tried to bribe me with a rice cooker to do well."

"And it worked, didn't it?" Phichit grinned. "We're all so proud of you!"

"So I heard." Yuuri chuckled, looking up as Celestino brought him over his food. "Thank you all for supporting me. I never would have made it here without it."

Phichit moved the camera so everyone who was crammed into their small dorm living room could wave at him. Yuuri waved sheepishly back.

"Yuuri, you are doing _Lay All Your Love on Me_ , right?" Phichit suddenly turned serious.

Yuuri reached over and held up a costume bag. "Of course. It was either that or the Adam Lambert song."

"Oh! That would be a good one for Worlds!"

"I would need you there to do my eye makeup." Yuuri said in-between bites of food. "I can't do eyeliner for the life of me."

"Don't I know it." Phichit laughed, picking up a glass of sparkling cider, prompting everyone else in the room to join in. "To Yuuri!"

"To Yuuri!" they toasted, downing their drinks in one go and hollering even louder.

An hour later, Yuuri hung up the phone feeling the happiest he had been in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and hits! I honestly didn't expect this fic to already reach an audience of this size after just the first chapter. It means a lot to me and I love every single one of you.
> 
> Also, I probably did a terrible job at choreographing programs and didn't actually calculate what Yuuri's score would be so forgive me it's very, very inaccurate. I tried a best but when I was researching and writing I let my poor tea grow cold and no one likes cold tea. Except maybe boba or ice tea. Hmm.
> 
> That's all for now and thanks again for your continued support! I'll see you in the next one!


End file.
